Ridgeland
Baptist Church
1448 Grays Highway Ridgeland, SC 29936
Phone 843.726.3127 Fax 843.726.2199
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1448 Grays Highway Ridgeland, SC 29936 Phone 843.726.3127 Fax 843.726.2199 |
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Ridgeland Baptist Church Ridgeland,
SC
Discovering
Church Membership Welcome
To DISCOVERING
CHURCH MEMBERSHIP We
are so glad that you that you have decided to become a member of Ridgeland
Baptist! This class is the basic
introduction to our church family. Since
we have members from many different church backgrounds, this class was designed
to clearly explain who and what our church is. The
Basics For This Class “...You
are a member of God’s very own family...and you belong in God’s household
with every other Christian.” Eph.
2:19 (LB) Key
Truths: 1.
The church is a family 2.
God expects you to be a member
of a church family. 3.
A Christian without a church family is an
orphan. The Goal Of This Class ...That
I will commit myself to Christ and to the Ridgeland Baptist
Family. What
Makes The Ridgeland Baptist Church of Ridgeland A Family? Four things
unite us:
• Our
Salvation (What God has done for us)
• Our
Statement (Why we exist as a church)
• Our
Strategy (How we fulfill our purpose)
• Our
Structure (When and where we fulfill our purpose) Class Outline Section One: Our
Salvation
• What it
means to be a Christian
• The
symbols of salvation: Baptism and Communion Section Two: Our
Statements
• Our
Purpose Statement
• Our
Faith Statement
• Our
Lifestyle Statement Section Three: Our
Strategy
• Ridgeland
Baptist’s Heritage
• Who we
are trying to reach (target)
• 4
covenants
Section Four: Our
Structure
• How our
church is structured
• Our
affiliation
• What it
means to be a member
Section
One Our
Salvation “For
now we are all children of God through faith in Jesus Christ, and we who have
been baptized into union with Christ are enveloped by Him.
We are no longer Jews or Gentiles, or slaves or free men, or even merely
men or women, but we are all the same - we are Christians; we are one in Jesus
Christ.” Galatians
3:26-28 (LB) What
Does It Mean To Be A Christian? Most
people live their entire lives without ever knowing “WHY?”
They exist year after year with no idea of why they live or God’s
purpose for their lives. The most basic question a person can ask is, “What is
the meaning of life?” When
people were asked what it is that they would like to ask God, the number one
answer was that they would ask “What is the purpose of my life?” Everyone
wants to be happy. People try many
ways:
...Some look for happiness by acquiring possessions.
...Some look for happiness by experiencing pleasure.
...Some look for happiness by gaining prestige & power. But real happiness comes
from understanding my Purpose in .
I.
Why Am I Here? 1.
God made me to Love me! God
says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love!”
Jer. 31:3 “Even
before the world was made, God had already chosen us to be His through our union
with because of
His love. God had already
decided that through Jesus Christ He would make us His children - this was
God’s pleasure and purpose.”
Eph. 1:4-5 (GN) 2.
We were created to Enjoy a personal relationship with God and to
all of the rest of God’s creation! This
makes us special! “So
God created human beings, making them in His image. He blessed them, and said,...live all over the earth and
bring it under control. I am
putting you in charge.” Gen. 1:27-28 (LB) “God
richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.”
1 Tim. 6:17 Jesus
said, “I have come in order that you might have life - life in all its
fullness!” John 10:10 3.
When we know and love God, and live in harmony with His purpose for our
lives, it produces tremendous benefits in our lives: Clear
Conscience Rom. 8:1
Life & Peace Rom. 8:6
Help with Weakness Rom. 8:26 Purpose
Rom. 8:28
Confidence Rom. 8:31
Security Rom. 8:39 Power
& Strength Phil. 4:13
Fulfillment Phil. 4:19
Freedom John 8:32,36 II.
What’s The Problem? Man
has a natural desire to be the Boss and to ignore God’s
principles for living.
“Look out for #1. Do your
own thing.”
“If it feels good, do it - regardless of what God says about it.”
“It’s my life and I’ll do what I please!” The Bible calls this attitude:
SIN “All
of us, like sheep, have gone astray, and each of us has turned to his own
way.” Isaiah 53:6 “If
we say that we never sin, we are only fooling ourselves, and refuse to accept
the truth.” 1 John 1:8 Sin
breaks our close relationship with God. It
causes us to fear God and try to live our lives outside of His will. “The
trouble is that your sins have cut you off from God.”
Isaiah 59:2 (LB) “All
have sinned and fall short of God’s glorious ideal.”
Romans 3:23 When
our relationship to God is not right, it causes PROBLEMS in every area of our
lives - marriage, career, relationships, finances, etc. WHEN
PEOPLE HAVE PROBLEMS, THEY OFTEN TRY MANY DIFFERENT WAYS OF COPING BEFORE
TURNING TO GOD. “There
are ways that SEEM right to man, but they only end in death.”
Proverbs 16:25 Even
when we know that our deepest need is God, we often try wrong ways of getting to
know Him:
• “My
mother was a Christian so...”
• “It
doesn’t matter what you believe, just be sincere.”
• “I’ll
give up all my bad habits.”
• “I’ll
work real hard and earn it.”
• “I’ll
be religious and go to church.”
III. What’s
The Solution? Jesus
Christ said, “I AM THE WAY, the Truth, and the Life.
No one comes to the Father, except THROUGH ME!”
John 14:6 God
Himself came to earth as a human being to bring us back to Himself.
If any other way would have worked, Jesus Christ would not have had to
come. The Way is a Person! JESUS
HAS ALREADY TAKEN CARE OF
YOUR SIN PROBLEM! “The
wages of sin in death, BUT the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ
our Lord.” Rom. 6:23 God
did this for us because He loves us and wants us to know Him. “God
demonstrated His love for us in that while we were still separated from God by
sin, Christ died for us.”
Rom. 5:8 “God
is on one side and all people are on the other side, and Christ Jesus is between
them to bring them together, by giving His life for all mankind.”
1 Tim. 2:5 God
has already done His part to restore our relationship to Him.
He took the initiative. Now
He waits for each of us to individually accept what He has done for us. IV. What
Does God Want Me To Do? 1.
Admit that God has not been first place in your life and ask Him
to forgive your sins. “If
we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins
and cleanse us from every wrong.”
1 John 1:9 2.
Believe that Jesus died on the cross to pay for your sins and that
he rose again on Easter, and is alive today. “If
you confess that Jesus is your Lord, and you believe in your heart that
God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9 “Salvation
is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by
which we must be saved.”
Acts 4:12 (NIV) 3.
Accept God’s free gift of salvation.
Don’t try to earn it. “For
it is by grace you are saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it
is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Ephesians 2:8,9 Our
relationship to God is not restored by anything we do, but on the basis of what
Jesus already did for us! 4.
Invite Jesus Christ to come into your life and be the lord
(“director”) of your life. “To
all who receive Him, He gives the right to become children of God.
All we need to do is to trust Him to save us.
All those who believe this are reborn! - not a physical
rebirth...but from the will of God!”
John 1:12-13 “Jesus
says, ‘Listen! I stand at the
door and knock. If anyone hears my
voice and opens the door, I will come in...’”
Rev. 3:30 You can take these steps by praying a simple prayer of
commitment to God: “Dear
Jesus, thank you for making me and loving me, even when I’ve ignored you and
gone my own way. I realize I need
you in my life and I’m sorry for my sins.
I ask you to forgive me. Thank
you for dying on the cross for me. Please
help me to understand it more. As
much as I know how, I want to follow you from now on.
Please come into my life and make me a new person inside.
I accept your gift of salvation. Please
help me to grow now as a Christian.” “Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Romans 10:13 The
Importance of Being Baptized I.
Why Should I Be Baptized? 1.
To follow the example set by Jesus. “At
that time Jesus came from Nazareth and was baptized by John in the river.”
Mark 1:9 2.
Because Jesus Commands it. “Jesus
said, ‘Go then, to all people everywhere and make them my disciples,
baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and
then teach them to obey everything I have commanded you.’”
Matt.
28:19-20 3.
It demonstrates that I really am a Believer. “...many
of the people who heard Him believed and were baptized.”
Acts 18:8 “We
know that we have come to know Him, if we obey His commands.”
1 John 2:3 II.
What is the meaning of baptism? 1.
It illustrates Christ’s Burial and resurrection “Christ
died for our sins... He was
buried...and He rose again.” 1
Cor. 15:3-4 “For
when you are baptized, you were buried with Christ, and in baptism
you were also raised with Christ. Col. 2:12 2.
It illustrates my New Life as
a Christian. “When
someone becomes a Christian he becomes a brand new person inside.
The old life has passed away and a new life has begun!” 2 Cor. 5:17 “By
our baptism then, we were buried with Him and shared His death, in
order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead...so also we may
live a new life!”
Rom. 6:4 Baptism
doesn’t make you a believer - it shows that you already believe.
Baptism does not “save” you, only your faith in Christ does that.
Baptism is like a wedding ring - it’s the outward symbol of the
commitment you made in your heart. “For
it is by grace you have been saved, through faith...it is the gift of God
- not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 III. Why
Be Baptized By Immersion? Because Jesus was baptized that way. “As
soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up.”
Matthew 3:16 Every baptism in the Bible was by immersion. (Example)
“...then both Philip and the man went down into the water and
Philip baptized him. When they came
up out of the water...” Acts 8:38-39 The word “Baptize” means to Immerse under
water”. The
Greek word baptizo means “to immerse or dip under water”. It best symbolizes a burial and resurrection! The
denominational founders and others agree: Martin
Luther (Founder of the Lutherans)...“I
would have those who are to be baptized to be entirely immersed, as the word
imports and the mystery signifies.” John
Calvin (Founder of the Presbyterians)...“The
word ‘baptize’ signifies to immerse. It
is certain that immersion was the practice of the ancient church.” John
Wesley (Founder of the Methodists)...“Buried
with Him, alludes to baptizing by immersion according to the custom of the first
church.” Dean
Stanley, Episcopalian... “In the
apostolic age those who come to baptism came in full age, and of their own
choice. Those who were baptized
were immersed in water.” Philip
Schaff, Presbyterian church historian... “Immersion
was unquestionably the original form of baptism.” IV. Who
Should Be Baptized? Every person who has Believed “Those
who believed and accepted His message were baptized...”
Acts 2:41 “Simon
himself believed and was baptized...”
Acts 8:13 “But
Philip as he preached the Good News...and the name of Jesus Christ, they were
baptized, both men and women.”
Acts 8:12 At
Ridgeland Baptist, we wait until our children are old enough to believe
and understand the true meaning of baptism before we baptize them.
Only those persons who have made a profession of their faith in Jesus
Christ are eligible for baptism. As
a result, it is often referred to as “Believer's Baptism.” Some
churches practice some sort of “baptism of confirmation” for infants
and small children. This ceremony
is intended to be a covenant between the parents and God on the behalf of the
child. The parents promise to raise
their child in the faith until the child is old enough to make his own personal
confession of Christ. This custom
began about 300 years after the Bible was completed.
This is different from the baptism talked about in the Bible which
was only for those old enough to believe. The purpose of Biblical Baptism is to publicly confess your
personal commitment to Jesus Christ.
Ridgeland
Baptist does have a “Parent/Child Dedication Service” in which small
children are dedicated to the Lord. In
this service, the parents dedicate their child to the Lord and by doing so, they
dedicate themselves to raising the child according to Biblical principles.
This dedication service is very different from Christian baptism and
follows a more appropriate Biblical model. At
Ridgeland Baptist it is a membership requirement that every member must have
been baptized the way Jesus demonstrated, after believing and by immersion, even
though some of us may have received some sort of “baptism of confirmation”
as children. V.
When Should I Be Baptized?
As soon as you have believed! “Those
who believed...were baptized...that day!”
Acts 2:41 “Then
Philip began with the scripture and told him the Good News about Jesus.
As they traveled along the road, they came to some water, and the man
said, ‘Look, here is water! Why
shouldn’t I be baptized right now?’ Philip
said, ‘If you believe with all your heart, you may.’
The man answered, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’
So they went down into the water and Philip baptized him.”
Acts 8:35-38 There
is no reason to delay. As soon as
you have decided to receive Christ into your life, you can and should be
baptized. If you wait until you are
“perfect”, you’ll never feel “good enough”! Can
my family be baptized together? Yes!
If each family member understands fully the meaning of baptism, and each
one has personally placed his/her trust in Christ for salvation, families can be
baptized at the same time. It is a
wonderful expression of
commitment to Jesus Christ. Young
children who wish to be baptized are asked to meet with the pastor for a
pre-baptism conversation. However,
it is important to remember that baptism is a personal statement of
faith, not a family tradition. It
is not wise to delay your baptism while waiting on other family members to
accept Christ, particularly children. This puts an undue pressure on them, and delays your
obedience. The
Meaning of the Lord’s Supper Jesus
never asked His disciples to remember His birth. But He did instruct them to remember His death and
resurrection. He gave the church
two visible symbols (called “ordinances”) as reminders of His death.
These two ordinances are: Baptism and The Lord’s Supper.
The Lord’s Supper is an object lesson that represents a great spiritual
truth for believers. I.
What Is The Lord’s Supper? (1
Cor. 11:23-26) 1.
It is a Simple Act. “The
Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread...” (vs.
23) 2.
It is a Reminder. “...and
when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for
you; eat it in remembrance of me.’”
(vs. 24) 3.
It is a Symbol. “In
the same way, He took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new
covenant in my blood; drink it to remember me.’” (vs. 25) 4.
It is a Statement Of Faith. “For
whenever you eat the bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s
death until He comes back.” (vs. 26) II.
Who Should Take The Lord’s Supper? Only
those who are already Believers.
(Mark 14:22-26) “For
anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats
and drinks judgment upon himself.”
2 Cor. 11:29 III.
How Do I Prepare Myself For The Lord’s Supper? “Therefore
whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner
will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.
A person ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and
drinks of the cup.”
1 Cor. 11:27-28 By... 1.
Self-Examination 1 Cor. 11:27
2.
Confessing My Sins 1 John 1:9 3.
Recommitment Rom. 12:1
4. Restoring Relationships Matt. 5:23-24 Iv. When
and How Often Should We Observe The Lord’s Supper? Jesus never
said when or how often believers should observe The Lord’s Supper.
He instituted it on a Thursday
night. Traditionally, we observe
the Lord’s Supper at least once a quarter during our morning Service and
during other special services throughout the year.
Section
Two The
Ridgeland Baptist History & Statements of Faith “Let
there be real harmony among you so there won’t be any split in the church.
I plead with you to be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.” 1
Corinthians 1:10 (LB) Our
Ridgeland Baptist Heritage Where We have
come From
In the late 1800s the town of Ridgeland, known as Gopher Hill, was set on
a sand ridge. Its economy was
based on agriculture, production of forest products, row crops, vegetables and
livestock. The railroad was
instrumental in the development of Ridgeland as a railroad transfer point for
forest products such as lumber and turpentine.
As the town began to grow and develop, residents thought it well to start
a local church.
Ridgeland Baptist Church (RBC) was organized Feb. 28, 1892, as a branch
of Great Swamp Baptist Church. Rev.
W. H. Dowling, missionary of the station, Mr.
J. T. Morrison and Deacon
William Smart of the Great Swamp Church made up the constituting council of the
presbytery. There were nine charter
members: Mr. William Preacher, Mrs.
A. J. Preacher, Dr. William A. Preacher, Miss Jane Polk, Mr. G. W. Gross, Mrs.
Susan (G. W.) Gross, Mr. Charles Edward Perry, Mrs. Ella Sharp Porter and Mrs.
S. S. Wilson. The State Mission
Board of South Carolina Baptist Convention also was involved in the church’s
beginning. First officers elected
by the new church were: Rev. W. H.
Dowling, pastor; Mr. William Preacher, deacon; Mr. Charles Edward Perry, clerk;
and Dr. W. A. Preacher, treasurer.
Articles of faith adopted by the new church were those of the New
Hampshire Confession listed in Brown’s Church Manual.
The church then was recognized and the right hand of fellowship extended
by the council. Mr. William Preacher was ordained as deacon. “Ridgeland
Baptist Church” was adopted as the new congregation’s name.
Four weeks later five more persons were received by letter into church
membership: Rev. Jonas Trowell, Mrs. Keziah Trowell, Miss Eva Trowell, Miss
Elizie Trowell and Mr. Edward Perry.
On May 25, 1892, the church met to consider a church building.
In the interim, the local Masonic Hall was used as a meeting place for
the church. By 1894, the partially
completed structure was being used, boards across sills for seats, erected on
what is now the southeast corner of Main Street and Jacob Smart Blvd. in
Ridgeland. According to church minutes of August 13, 1892, Mrs. Lizzie Wall Cope
was the first person received into membership by baptism.
Though records between 1899 and 1905 were lost, according to persons
living during these years, Ridgeland Baptist Church was part of a joint church
field with Great Swamp Baptist and Euhaw Baptist.
Rev. John G. Williams, Rev. W. E. Perryclear and Rev. J. W. Bishop served
as pastors. The building was completed during the pastorate of
Rev. E. G. Nungezer (1906-09). The ladies of the church raised $100 at an oyster
supper at the home of Mrs. J. R. Wilson and purchased a bell for the belfry,
which served the community for many years as a call to come to worship.
A Hampton church donated the pulpit, which still is being used in our
fellowship hall. Then on December 26, 1995, fire believed to have started from a faulty gas furnace in the attic of the sanctuary, devastated and demolished the beautiful sanctuary and two educational buildings. The fellowship hall, completed in 1991, was severely damaged by smoke and water. As the fire blazed, fountains of tears flowed, expressing the shock and grief of breaking hearts. Southern Mutual Church Insurance Company representative, Mr. Fred Motley, delivered insurance claim checks for a total sum of $1,450,000 for maximum policy limit. There was also an outpouring of monetary response from the membership, former members, community and other churches. Our church suffered great loss, but the church, God’s people, endured. The years to follow were ones of concerted prayer and careful planning.
Trustees appointed for the church were: Mr. Ted Easterlin, chairman; Mr.
Mike Larrow and Mrs. Daphne Floyd. Malphrus Construction Company cleared the
lots of debris by December 30, 1995 because of potential liability.
Sunday School and Morning Worship services were held at Thomas Heyward
Academy. Wednesday night services
were conducted at Saul’s Funeral Chapel.
Senior Singers, Children’s Choirs, Mission Activities and the Nursery
were conducted at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church.
The church offices were housed in the Savannah River Baptist
Association’s building until we could purchase a mobile home and have it
placed on the church’s property. Our
activities were scattered but our hearts were still united.
A committee to oversee repairing the damaged fellowship hall was:
Mr. Mike Larrow, Mr. Bobby Malphrus, Mr. Richard Owens, and Mr. Kelley
Richardson. Larrow Construction
Company, and others if needed, were to expedite completing the project. On March
3, 1996 the project was complete and we had a time of “closure.”
March 17, 1996 the church called a special conference with a
recommendation from the Deacon Council that the church establish a Committee on
Special Committees composed of the following:
Mrs. Margaret Davis, Mrs. Samantha Malphrus, Mrs. Jean Nimmer, Mr. Tommy
Rhodes, Mrs. Parniece Richardson, Mr. Jeremiah Vaigneur and Mr. Milton Woods.
This committee’s task was to nominate to the church a Strategic Plans
and Facilities Development Steering Committee and appoint members to serve on
sub-committees and workgroups of the Steering Committee. On April 7, 1996, the Committee on Special Committees
gave their report. The church
elected the following to serve on the Strategic Plans and Facilities Development
Steering Committee: Mr. Bobby
Malphrus, chairman.; Mrs. Penny Daley, secretary; Mr. Jimmy Baker; Mr. Ted
Easterlin; Mr. Billy Collins; Mrs. Mary Jane Richardson; Mr. Dale Malphrus; Mr.
Richard Owens; Mrs. Ruth Baldwin; Mr. Philip Rhodes; Mr. Kelley Richardson,
Ex-Officio; Rev. Derris Davenport, Ex-Officio and Mrs. Carol Lee, Ex-Officio.
Under these were some 140 members of
sub-committee workgroups.
After much prayer and thorough study of options the church voted 137
(yes) and 68 (no) to purchase 15 acres at the present site on January 19, 1997
from Mrs. Pat Woods Spangler of Greenville, SC for $101,550.00. The church’s future location would give us room for
growth. We then proceeded with
plans for the new facilities, conducted a Challenge To Build capital fund
raising program, and hired Cogun Industries to construct the project. Mr. Tim Cool, representative for Cogun; Mr. Steve Cruz,
project manager; and Mr. E. Ralph
Walden, architect; completed our facilities for a firm price of $1,977,668.
February 28, 1999, 107th anniversary of
RBC, we dedicated our new facilities. As
Pastor Davenport said, “ Many churches celebrate anniversaries and dedicate
new buildings, but few churches celebrate one hundred seven years of Kingdom
service and dedicate all new facilities on a new location –debt free!”
Rev. Davenport retired months later in August 1999.
January 2, 2000, our church called Rev. Carl Poole and our church has
experienced much growth under his leadership. The following year, February 2001,
we called our first Minister of Youth/Associate Pastor, Rev. Jimmy Ferebee, to
assist him with the pastoral duties and help lead our congregation into the new
Millennium.
September 5, 2001, we had a dedication of the RBC historical marker at
the conclusion of our Wednesday night service.
Many children were present and were impressed that our church has been in
existence since 1892.
May, 2002, RBC Vision Planning Committee (Mr. Eddie Stanley, Chairman;
Mrs. Meggan Graves, Secretary; Mr. Ted Easterlin; Mr. Jeff Mingledorff; Mrs.
Margaret Davis; Mr. Justin Baker; and Dr. Carl Poole, Ex-Officio) submitted a
document that outlined the step-by-step progress that RBC needs to adopt over
the next one-to-four years as it plans for growth and outreach.
The needs found to be most urgent were: 1) to build a new fellowship
hall, 2) refurbish the existing fellowship hall and create more
classrooms/educational space, and 3) create more parking spaces in the front of
the church to improve our entrance and exit to/from the church with a trade of
property off the back of our lot to land adjacent to our property on the front.
The committee received full support of the church in planning for RBC
future. Nominated to serve on the
building committee were: Mr. John Benton, Mrs. Effie Malphrus; Mr. Mike Tuten,
Mr. Richard Owens, Mr. Kelley Richardson, and Dr. Carl Poole, Ex-Officio.
Mr. Bill Kendrick will lead the fund-raising campaign along with Mr.
Jimmy Baker, Mrs. Georgia Mobley, Mrs. Sarah Malonis, Mr. Milton Woods and Dr.
Carl Poole, Ex-Officio.
Members/former members who either were ordained at RBC or answered the
Call to Ministry/Mission Field include: Rev. Benjamin McTeer; Rev. J. Melchor
Woods, Jr.; Rev. Perry Malphrus; Rev. Jerry Styles; Rev. Claudia Preacher
Brantley; Rev. & Mrs. David Newton; Rev. Ward Carver; Rev. & Mrs. Mike
Creswell; Rev. Bobby Thompson; and Miss Robin Gray. RBC tries to faithfully keep its focus on people who
need to know the saving grace of God. It
is a church that is mission-minded. RBC
stresses the importance of worship, prayer, committed lives, and tithes and
offerings. Our outreach ministries
include: Sunday School, youth, VBS,
music, prayer, Bible study, a five day Child-care ministry, Ridgeland Nursing
Center, homebound, missions through Lowcountry ministries (Savannah River
Assoc.) and Honduras mission trips, and sports events. We
have completed a baseball field from funds from CTB at a cost of $35,000.
We have a rich heritage! May
we focus our eyes on Christ, the Head of our church. Our
Purpose Statement Why We Exist As A Church The
purpose of our church is summarized in a single sentence based on two key
scriptures: “We Believe that our greatest Priority is to love
God, and that it is our Great Privilege to love our neighbor; as we practice
these two together, God will build a Great Church that will effectively reach
our community and the world.” Great
Commandment: “Jesus said, ‘Love
the Lord your God with all your heart...soul...and mind. This is
the first and greatest commandment. And
the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the
Law and Prophets hang on these two commandments.’”
Matt. 22:36-40 The
Great Commission: “Jesus said,
‘Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching
them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
Matt. 28:19-20 •
To “Love God with all your heart” is “WORSHIP”. •
To “Love your neighbor as yourself” is “MINISTRY”. •
To “Go...make disciples” is “EVANGELISM”. •
To “Baptize...” is to “INCORPORATE INTO FELLOWSHIP”. •
To “Teach them...all things” is “DISCIPLESHIP”. Ridgeland
Baptist Church Exists: 1.
To Exalt the Lord Jesus in worship 2.
To Evangelize our community through outreach 3.
To Equip believers in Spiritual growth 4.
To Encourage believers to into areas of service 5.
To Enjoy one another
in fellowship These five purposes of Ridgeland Baptist Church
are recognizable through a simple illustration that helps us to remember why we
Exist. Every Believer’s Body is the Temple of the
Holy Spirit. ”Your
Body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have
from God, and you are not your
own.
For you were bought at a price; therefore, glorify God in your body and
in your spirit, which
are Gods.” 1
Corinthians 6:19-20 It is
important for us to understand that this building is not God’s House, instead
our body is God’s House.
Therefore, at Ridgeland Baptist we believe that the purpose of our church
is to help you build your God’s
House, which is your body. We want to help in the building process as you grow
as a total person. I.
We Exist To Celebrate God’s Presence Worship: “Worship
the Lord your God, and serve Him only.”
Matt. 4:10 “...The
Father seeks worshipers...and His worshippers must worship Him in spirit and in
truth.” Jn 4:23-24 Expressions
of Worship
(These are some examples not an exhaustive list)
• Singing
(Eph. 5:19)
• Commitment
(Romans 12:1-2)
• Praying
(Ps. 95:6)
• Hearing
the Word (John 17:17)
• Giving
(1 Cor. 16:1-2)
• Baptism
(Romans 6:3-4)
• Meditating
(Hab. 2:20)
• Lord’s
Supper (1 Cor. 11-23-26) The Worship Experience is to be a time of: |
